By Arti Dillon
My experience tells me that having people shipped off to expensive locations isn’t new. As a teenager, we were placed in a hotel room in central London because we couldn’t afford a rent deposit after cuts to benefits that would have previously provided rent deposits for low income families. Our new, temporary home wasn’t safe or healthy.
Government’s reliance on hotels for asylum seekers, a current political and media obsession, is a direct outcome of profit-driven thinking, designed to channel millions into the hands of private landlords.
Meanwhile, members of Parliament freely share false statistics that reiterate some of the far right’s narrative on a mythical link between housing shortages and migration. The Chartered Institute of Housing debunks this myth, stating that:
“Migrants are often blamed for housing shortages, but the truth is they stand less of a chance of getting social housing than people born in the UK.”
So is there a housing shortage? Yes but no.
It is true that there are huge waiting lists for council housing, and growing numbers of homeless people. It is also true that far too many people are housed in insecure, unsuitable, and expensive homes.
But the concept of a housing shortage is also a myth, and one which serves a specific political narrative which hides the political and commercial decisions that create what is in fact an affordability crisis. The beneficiaries of this crisis are private and large corporate landlords – and this includes housing associations. A 2020 analysis by Shelter of temporary accommodation reveals that
“of the almost £1.1 billion spent on temporary accommodation by councils in England last year – 86% of it went to private landlords, letting agents or companies … The amount of money being paid to these private accommodation providers has almost doubled in the last five years”.
This system provides a means for those with money to print more money.
A Million Empty Homes
While taxpayers’ money flows into the pockets of private corporate and housing association landlords providing temporary housing, there are over one million homes standing empty in England according to Action on Empty Homes. The problem isn’t a lack of space or housebuilding, but a lack of political will to fairly distribute the homes that are available.
One solution to the affordability crisis would be to bring these existing homes back into public use. The legislation for doing so already exists in the form of Compulsory Purchase Orders and Empty Dwelling Orders. Another mechanism would be to cap rents, not benefits. The latter prevents people from being able to afford a rental. The former would remove this barrier.
But it is no surprise that politicians have allowed the affordability crisis to develop. More than one in ten members of Parliament are landlords, a significantly higher proportion than the general population. As well as enjoying higher than average worker salaries – £93k a year with pension, travel, accommodation – data shows at least 83 MPs have declared rental income of over £10,000 per year, with some owning a whole portfolio of properties.
Seeking Solutions
Being part of SHAC and hearing about people standing up for themselves, for their children, and for their communities, continues to inspire me. To overcome the considerable barriers they face, they have used a variety of tactics including radical action such as service charge strikes and occupying empty estates.
In the longer term, SHAC is aiming to work with other housing campaigns and organisations to create a national tenants and residents union. This initiative provides a pathway to shift the balance of power in our favour.
Whichever form it takes, those of us involved in SHAC will continue building resistance to exploitation by landlords of all types – council, housing association, and private. We are united both by common concerns and a desire for action.
4 September 2025
If you have a WordPress account, get notifications about new articles by subscribing below: